Peggy Lee

Every Night

In 1957, after a five-year stint with Decca, Peggy Lee returned 'home' to Capitol Records, where she had spent the first seven years of her solo career. Rock 'n' roll was chugging right along in April of that year, which is when Peggy cut Every Night, an R&B tune co-written by singer-songwriter-producer Ed Townsend. (Ed would go on to have a Capitol hit of his own (For Your Love, # 13, 1958) and, even later, co-write Let's Get It On with Marvin Gaye in 1973).

Nelson Riddle conducts the combo on Every Night which features sizzling electric guitar splashes, some Johnny Johnson-inspired piano work, a solid-shuffle rhythm section, doo-wopping male back-up singers and a wailing sax solo from Plas Johnson. Peggy doesn't let things get away on her though. She commands center-stage, delivering a solid, casually soulful, confident vocal over top of the rock 'n' roll ruckus. You know who is in charge of this performance: Miss Peggy Lee

A little over a year later, in May, 1958, Peggy revived Little Willie John's 1956 #24 hit, Fever, which would turn out to be one of her biggest, most enduring records.